2014 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class trailer

angle of 45°. Note that the climbing ability
of your vehicle depends on the terrain
conditions.
R When driving down an incline, make use of
the engine's braking effect. Observe the
engine speed; do no toverrev the engine.
R Drive slowly.
R Avoid high engine speeds. Drive at
appropriate engine speeds (maximum
3,000 rpm).
R Use the left-hand paddle shifter to shift into
a lower gearing ood time on long and steep
downhill gradients.
R Check the brakes after prolonged off-road
driving.
i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling
away on a hill.
For further information about hill start
assist, see (Y page 161).
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values (Y page 454).
Maximu mgradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient
climbing ability values (Y page 455).
Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator
immediately before reaching the brow of the
hill .Use the vehicle's own impetus to drive
over the top of the hill.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight.
Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways,
tip and rollover.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
paddle shifter before tackling steep
downhill gradients.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting enables
a precise, brief and repeated locking of the
front wheels. This causes them to dig into
loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels
easily skid across the ground surface if
completely braked and therefore lose their
ability to steer. Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing
so, you will make use of the braking effect of
the engine. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h). Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z

Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0002.
or
X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you activate DSR.
R you shift the transmissio nto position N
while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the CruiseControl Off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot
prevent a collision without your intervention.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you when
driving, the radar sensor system must be:
R activated(Y page 276)
R operational
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a "Vehicular RadarS ystem". The radar
sensor is intended fo ruse in an automotive
radar system only. Removing, tampering
with, or altering the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similars ituations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Y page 207).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brak eis released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0001 appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.R
you depress the brake pedal againw ith a
certain amoun tofpressure until 0001
disappears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belti s unfastened.
R the engine is switched off.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P. AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC regulates the level of your vehicle.
As well as level control (Y
page 209), your
vehicle can be equipped with ADS (Adaptive
Damping System) (Y page 207) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 208).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 253).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) General notes
ADS adapts the damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving situation.
This depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R the ADS setting
R the vehicle level setting Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z

If indicator lamp
0003lights up:
X Press button 0002once.
Second indicator lamp 0023lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode. The vehicle is
lowered by 10 mm.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a comfortable driving
style. Select comfor tmode also when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of freeway.
X Press button 0002repeatedly until indicator
lamps 0023and 0003go out.
You have selected Comfort mode. The
vehicle is raised by 10 mm compared with
Sport +suspension tuning.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT message appears in the multifunction
display. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. When
maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a
parking space, make sure that there are no
persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does no tdetec tsuch objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damag
ethe vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. 0002
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example) Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

yellow segments showing operational
readiness 0023ligh tup.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, dependin gonthe
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for
approximately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two
seconds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC 0002
Indicator lamp
0003 Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp 0002lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated. i
PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2
in the ignition lock.
Towing atrailer !
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required .PARKTRONIC
measures the minimu mdetection range to
an obstacle from the bumper, not the ball
coupling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example:
R where parking or stopping is prohibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R On narrow roads, drive as close to the
parking space as possible.
R Parking spaces tha tare littered or
overgrow nmight be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R Parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R Pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 214 )warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R At any time, you can intervene in the
steering procedure to correct it. Active
Parking Assist will then be canceled.
R When transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should no tuse
Active Parking Assist.
R Never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed.
R Make sure that the tire pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec tinfluence
on the parking characteristics of the
vehicle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
R tha tare parallel to the direction of travel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same level as the road, e.g.
not on the pavement
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range,
Active Parking Assist may turn prematurely.
You may cause a collision as a result. There is
a risk of an accident.
If there are objects above the detection range,
stop and deactivate Active Parking Assist.
For further information on the detection
range (Y page 214).
Active Parking Assist does not support you
with parking spaces parallel to the direction
of travel if:
R the parking space is on acurb
R the system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
maneuver into
R the parking space is bordered by an
obstacle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer 0002
Detected parking space on the left
0003 Parking symbol
0023 Detected parking space on the right
Active Parking Assist is switched on
automatically when driving forwards .The
system is operational at speeds of up to
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h). While in
operation, the system independently locates
and measures parking spaces on both sides
of the vehicle. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Once you have exited the parking space
completely, the steering wheel is moved to
the straight-ahead position. You hear a tone
and the
Park Assist Switched Off message appears in the multifunction
display. You will then have to steer and merge
into traffic on your own. PARKTRONIC is still
available. You can take over the steering,
before the vehicle has exited the parking
space completely. This is useful, for example
when you recognize that it is already possible
to pull out of the parking space.
Canceling Active Parking Assist
X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. The Park Assist Canceled message appears in the multifunction
display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
center console (Y page 215).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
The Park Assist Canceled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is canceled
automatically if:
R the electric parking brake is engaged
R transmission position Pis selected
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
R you are driving faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h)
R a wheel spins, ESP ®
intervenes or fails. The
000F warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
Aw arning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the Park Assist Canceled message.
If Active Parking Assist is canceled, you must
steer again yourself. Towing
atrailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the
minimum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connectio
nis established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Rear view camera
General notes Rear view camera
0002is in the handle on the
tailgate.
Rear view camera 0002is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind
your vehicle with guide lines in the COMAND
display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
i The text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of rear
view camera messages in the COMAND
display.
Important safety notes The rear view camera is only an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering and220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

parking. When maneuvering or parking, make
sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in the area in which you are
maneuvering.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
R the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this event, have the camera position and
setting checked at a qualified specialist
workshop
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera X
To activate: make sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the function "show rear
view camera display" is selected in
COMAND.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines. X
To change the function mode for
vehicles with trailer tow hitch: using the
COMAND controller, select symbol 0002for
the "Reverse parking" function or
symbol 0003for "Coupling up a trailer" (see
the separate COMAND operating
instructions).
The symbol of the selected function is
highlighted.
To deactivate: the rear view camera is
deactivated if you:
R shift the transmission to position P
R drive 33 ft (10 m) forwards
R shift the transmission from Rto another
position after 15 seconds
R drive forwards at a speed of over 5mph
(10 km/h)
Displays in the COMAND display The rear view camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles, show them incorrectly or
not at all. The rear view camera does not show
objects in the following positions:
R
very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the
bottom-most guideline. Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z